Harpreet & Kamaljeet Singh

Name of the Victim : Harpreet and Kamaljeet Singh

Profile of the victim : Harpreet 19 and Kamaljeet singh were the residents of Begowal village in Punjab. Harpreet was the daughter of Ms Kaur head of the shiromani gurdwara prabandhak committee (SGPC). Harpreet married 21-year-old Kamaljeet Singh in secret.

Murdered person : Harpreet Kaur.

The accused : Her Mother and other family members.Place of Murder : Begowal village in Punjab

Date of Murder : 20th Nov 2000

Assassination : Ms Kaur was charged with the murder of Harpreet, her pregnant 19-year-old daughter. The SGPC chief has been freed on police bail.

Last year in Begowal, a village in Punjab, India’s richest state, Harpreet married 21-year-old Kamaljeet Singh in secret. Ms Kaur did not approve – Mr Singh was poor and had cut his hair, against Sikh practise.

In April this year Harpreet died in mysterious circumstances while staying in a relative’s house at her mother’s behest. She had been led to believe that her family was prepared to accept Mr Singh and would formally organise a wedding ceremony.

Harpreet was cremated and her ashes disposed of the same day, breaking Sikh tradition. Her family claimed there had been no marriage between Mr Singh and Harpreet and that the latter had died of food poisoning.

Less than 24 hours after the cremation, Mr Singh contacted the police and produced photographs of the wedding ceremony, which had been attended by his parents at Begowal. He claimed Ms Kaur was using her political influence to suppress and destroy evidence. He also sought protection for himself and his family.